1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to kites, and, more particularly, to kites which are illuminated so that they can be seen when they are flown at night.
2. Background Information
While kites of may descriptions have been known for a long time, with various aerodynamic features, various structural features, and various types of decorations, relatively few ways to illuminate a kite for night flying are discussed in the patent art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,039 to Linden, Jr. describes a kite, designed for night flying, having a facial ornamental design. The kite includes a frame means for providing the structural support of the kite, with the frame means including a plurality of frame members being in mechanical association with one another. A body means provides the aerodynamic flight characteristics of the kite, with the body means being supported by the frame means. The body means includes an interchangeable face means, the interchangeable face means allowing the selective substitution of a variety of ornamental designs for the kite. The kite includes an illumination means for illuminating the ornamental designs of the kite, with the illumination means also being supported by the frame means. The illumination means includes a single light bulb in front of a semi-spherical reflector, which is spaced behind the ornamental design, being supported by a framework extending along the rear of the kite. The ornamental design is partly translucent, with colored panels, and partly opaque, so that the ornamental design is clearly seen at night when illuminated from behind.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,793 to Pahl, et al. describes a light illumination frame comprising compact battery powered apparatus with a single light source that illuminates an optical medium in the form of an elongated tubular-shaped semitransparent material. This material may be applied to the exterior of an object, or the material may be shaped to form a support structure of an object. The light source is contained within a light chamber in the fixture. A slidable cover together with a battery actuation contact means forms a switch to actuate the light source. A plurality of openings extending from the light chamber receive the light-transmitting elongated tubular-shaped semitransparent material. The light illumination fixture, together with the tubular light transmitting material can be used to illuminate an object such as a kite. In this application, the tubular shaped transparent material extends in four directions from a centrally located light illumination fixture, forming structural members along which the cover sheet of the kite is stretched.
Both of these examples from the patent art use a single light source to illuminate a particular structure, with the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,039 illuminating the ornamental design of an interchangeable face, while the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,793 illuminates a number of elongated tubes extending outward from a central light illumination fixture. What is needed is a structure deploying a number of small lights of various colors along the surface of a kite. Furthermore, what is needed is a structure providing for a number of lights to be directly visible from each side of the kite, with the kite cover being composed of a transparent material, so that the output of the light sources appears as a bright pattern of light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,029 to Burrows describes an electroluminescent system in which neighboring layers are suspended, prior to application, in advantageously a unitary carrier compound, so that after curing, the layers form active strata within a monolithic mass. The carrier compound in a preferred embodiment is a vinyl resin in gel form. This invention enables several manufacturing advantages, including the ability to silk-screen print the entire electroluminescent system on a variety of substrates, including cloth, metals, plastics, wood, or even stone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,030 to Burrows describes an elastomeric electroluminescent (EL) lamp, in which an electroluminescent system, advantageously monolithic, is provided in an elastomeric structure. As a result, the lamp is thin, pliable, and membrane-like. A first envelope layer is applied advantageously by screen printing to transfer release paper. An EL system is then applied, again advantageously by screen printing, to the first envelope layer, and then a second envelope layer is applied to seal the EL system within the envelope. Appropriate windows are cut or left open to allow electrical contact with the EL system. An optional adhesive layer then may be applied if the lamp is to be used in transfer form for later affixation to a substrate. Alternatively, the lamp may be used as a self-contained elastomeric component installed in another product.
What is needed is a kite including electroluminescent structures made, for example, according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,856,029and -030, attached to the cover of the kite to provide illuminated patterns when the kite is being flown at night.